Qualities Built For Success
WHAT IS SUCCESS?
Success means different things for different people. For some, it means endless money and fame, while for others it may mean raising a family well or being able to be independent in today’s world. The key take away here is that each of us has to define what success means for us. There is no "correct" definition of success as we all like different things and are at the end of the day, very different people, but if you don't define what success means for you - what you consider to be enough for yourself - then how will you know when to stop? When will you have enough and be satisfied?
While I do not necessarily believe in labelling success as a single point in time or a final goal we have in life, but instead that we should rather try and make every day a small success that would contribute to our long term goal of success. If we just focus on the end goal, our happiness will depend on whether we reach our definition of success or not, instead, if we focus on the process of attaining that level of success and make sure that we make the majority of our days are a "win", then our satisfaction levels will be much more stable.
However, to reach the success that we defined for ourselves, we need to either have or develop certain qualities that will contribute to our success, no matter how we defined it in the first place. This is why I have composed together a list of the 15 most crucial qualities you have to put into practice in order to achieve your idea of success.
QUALITIES NEEDED TO SUCCEED
DRIVE AND PASSION
Passion and drive go hand in hand for a good reason. Passion is having an intense burning desire or interest about something, while having a drive, means that you are intensely motivated about something, which is why when we combine the two together, they form the very essence of our reason for existing; Our purpose in this life.
Having a drive and a passion for something means that you are highly dedicated to pursuing that idea or whatever it may be. You are motivated to try and do everything in your will to pursue this interest and to avoid any unwanted roadblocks. Being passionate about something gives you the very reason for waking up every morning because you want to pursue that deep craving as soon as possible. It is a cure for procrastination since it reduces the amount of motivation needed for you to start doing something, as well as making you feel fulfilled and satisfied since you are spending your time on something that you care deeply about.
PERSISTENCE
Nothing great and big in life ever came quick. There is really no such thing as "overnight" success because all of these seemingly instantaneous bursts of success once required some input of work in the first place, which is where persistence comes into play.
Persistence is the ability to be resilient and consistent with something, no matter how many setbacks we experience in the process. What makes the difference is not whether you do something once, but how often you repeat that action. For example, eating one low-calorie meal will not make you lose weight in the long run, however cutting back on let’s say 100 calories each day consistently, will lead to a much more noticeable and in the long term, a more sustainable result.
While it is hard to initially start doing something, it becomes much easier to keep that action continuous and regular once it is a part of our routine and once we gain enough motivational momentum to keep going forward, even when it may not be easy. Turn your actions into a habitual routine and being persistent with something will be a much more effortless process.
BEING ACTION ORIENTATED
While planning and thinking things though are essential to making good decisions and making sure you are headed in the right direction, what makes the difference at the end of the day is whether you take action and do something. Being proactive can be one of the most difficult things to do, but is one that surely pays off in the long run. Without it, nothing would ever get done, and the world would remain unchanged.
I believe it is best to both plan things in advance and have the ability to assert action and create change. The right balance of those two forces creates an incredible amount of momentum that not only drives you in the right direction but also makes sure to get you there.
TIME MANAGEMENT
They say that time is our most valuable resource; it can’t be created or controlled, but only spent. So this only means one thing: We are in charge of how we spend our time. And As Henry David Thoreau said: "It is not enough to be busy. The question is: what are we busy about?". While being busy is commonly mistaken for being productive, the key difference between them is that when we are productive we are intentionally choosing to do work that is of most importance to be done at the moment and will also provide the most value to us.
Knowing how to manage your time is a skill that we spent the majority of our lives learning, adjusting and improving. No one can be in control of their time all the time, because there are always unexpected events that come up, but there certainly are people who have found what time management techniques work for them. There is no single "formula" for the best time management, because everyone schedules, occupations and lives look different, so you have to find what time structure works best for your lifestyle.
Ask yourself: How many hours per day will I intentionally dedicate to doing ....? How long can I really stay focused in a single working period? How often do I need to take breaks from working? How much time will I spend working, in comparison to the time spent on leisure activities and socializing?
These are all questions that are individual to us all, so its the job of every individual to find what balance of work and leisure works best for them. Take it hour by hour, day by day, and really think about how you are spending your time and how you could improve that because after all, don't we all want to do more valuable things with our time?
EVALUATION
This is a crucial step, but one that is either neglected or under-appreciated. The ability to evaluate means to take a step back, put things into perspective and readjust your route. It is to make sure that what you are currently doing makes sense and that it aligns with your long term goals. So often, we spend our time lost and secured within set routines that provide comfort and familiarity in our lives, but without us even realizing it, those routines could actually be hindering our process in the long run.
Only when you truly take a step back and take time to slow down, is when you can begin to analyze what you are doing. Sometimes you just have to slow things down in this fast-paced world, to see a clear picture behind the blurry lines.
While evaluating and reconsidering the things you currently do, can be a time-consuming process, it certainly is one that is worth it in the long run.
ADAPTABILITY
I this ever-changing world, the only constant is change. The world around us is constantly changing, evolving and transforming - faster than it has ever been. What is the best way to deal with these changes? Become adaptable. Learn how to turn setbacks into positive experiences and find out how to create opportunities for yourself. Do not become too fixated on only one thing, as nothing stays forever, so its best to spread your feet wide apart on solid ground, to get a good scope of everything. This way you are less affected by the ongoing changes around you and you also gain more perspective as to where you could potentially find opportunities.
Even evolution proved it to us: Those who didn't adapt, simply just did not make it out alive. It is the same situation today, except everything is happening at a faster rate. Learn to become agile and flexible in this ever-changing world can be one of the useful qualities you can master.
GOOD COMMUNICATION
Being able to speak is one thing, but being able to communicate well is a whole another topic. While it is much easier to just keep our mouth busy talking the whole day, it is much harder to be an effective communicator. To be an effective communicator means that your listener fully understands what you are talking about and that you are able to communicate your message in an efficient manner, without wasting unnecessary time.
Here are some tips on how you can become a better communicator:
Define ahead of time, what it is you want to to tell that person
Think through what you are going to say, before saying it
Be straightforward and use language that both you and your listener will understand in the context
As you are speaking, ask your listener if what you are saying makes sense, or whether you need to repeat or clarify something
GOOD LISTENER
While it is an important skill to know how to communicate efficiently, it is just as important to know how and when to listen. If we don't listen to what other people are saying, we not only appear arrogant and impatient, but are also more likely to transmit our message across incorrectly, when it is our time to speak, and thus inefficient communication results. Listening to others allows cooperation to build and new ideas to be generated while your mind is opened to the ideas of other people.
Learn when it is the right time to speak up and make your voice heard but also be aware of when it is best to stay low and listen to others around you. Both you and your listener will benefit from this.
SOCIAL NETWORKING
They say that our personalities are determined by 5 of the closest people in our lives, which is why it is important that we consider who we are hanging out with? Who are we spending our time with? Ask yourself: Are the people I hang out with inspiring me? Challenging me to grow and improve? Supporting me? If you mostly answered no, you might want to reconsider your social circle.
Your social circle is so vitally important because humans by nature are social animals, where we need social interaction and mixing with others. This doesn't mean that you necessarily need to have an overwhelming number of friends with whom you hang out with on a regular basis, but it can just mean having a couple of really tightly knit close friends with whom you get along well and spending time with them do you and them well.
Not only that, but having more social connections makes your life easier in many ways. You are exposed to more foreign opportunities, and you have more mutual security as the more good friends you have, the more helping hands you have when you need help. But most importantly, social connections make your life worth living. The ability of people to experience and view your work and share experiences with each other gives you a sense of belonging, support and appreciation - which are all feelings we as humans crave.
DEALING WITH DISTRACTIONS
In today's distraction-filled work, one of the most worthwhile and searched for skills is your ability to stay focused and keep your brain concentrated on a task, without getting sucked into the plethora of social media feeds that consume our days. Many studies are confirming that on average, we are spending more than two hours every day on social media platforms. Mindlessly scrolling through these infinity pool networks where there is a never-ending content supply, does us more harm than we may initially think.
Using too much social media on the daily has been shown to negatively impact our self-esteem, our ability to talk and make social connections in real life, increase our levels of stress and anxiety, as well as potentially expose us to cyberbullying.
It seems as though social media will not be disappearing any time soon, as each year there are more social platforms being generated and more users joining every day, so it comes down to us to keep a healthy relationship with it. This also means that we know when and how to unplug from social media, to get actual work done and not get distracted every time we get a notification or an alert. Staying focused for long periods of time is steadily becoming a more difficult task, so those who develop their ability to do so, are on the right path.
CURIOSITY AND WILLINGNESS TO LEARN
Through the process of transitioning from a child to a teenager and then into an adult, we often lose the drive to learn about the world us, as we get occupied with work and other time fillers. Deep down we all have a desire and curiosity to learn about this world we live in, it is just often masked by daily occupations. It is important to nurture that need by reading, listening or viewing content that interests us and expands our knowledge in those fields.
If we have the drive to learn, it means we are proactive and have the want to acquire information about our environment. The more you learn, the easier it is for you to adapt to exterior circumstances and make more well-informed decisions, since you generally know more. All in all, a good quality to have.
CRITICAL THINKING
Critical thinking is defined as our ability to reason, where we have to question and verify all of the incoming information and be rational with how we choose to view this information. It is more based on analyzing and solving problems instead of relying so much on our instinct and intuition. It puts you into the perspective of a judge or critic, where you have to determine what makes sense and what doesn't in the context.
This is important in today’s world because it allows you to step into a more proactive mindset where you are actively analyzing all of the activities you do, instead of just doing things out of habit or routine. It allows you to discern the real from the fake, in terms of information and news. It enables you to make wiser decisions and most importantly, it broadens your perspective on things as you have to filter all of the incoming information.
SELF RELIANCE
It is nice to rely on others every so often, but if that becomes too much of a habit we may all of a sudden be let down when we can no longer rely on someone. Finding good people to rely on is becoming quite a challenging task with everyone living such busy lives, which is why at the end of the day, the only person who you can truly rely on, is yourself.
Learn to not blame others for your current situation as more often than not, it is your own action and decision that have brought you to where you are today. Self-reliance means holding yourself accountable and being responsible for your actions, where you know that your work output is a result of your own self-reliance instead of the reliance on others.
CONFIDENCE
A while back I read a quote saying "The most beautiful thing you can wear is confidence" which many times I have found to be true. When you are comfortable in your skin and yourself, you have a different energy about you and people just view you differently. Approaching life with confidence means that you are not afraid of problems but rather view them as challenges. It makes you more susceptible to making new social connections, as people are naturally more inclined to talk to people who are outspoken and confident; confidence is often attractive. Not only do you attract more people, but you also attract more potential opportunities your way, as we have previously mentioned that more social networking brings you more opportunities.
By being confident you also inspire others to be confident, which as a result also does good for them. Be confident to the extent where you are self-assured but not boastful, and you will see how your life takes a different turn.
OPTIMISM
As Dr Seuss said, "Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened". Here the main take away is that in life we can always choose how we want to look at the situation; We can either complain and be negative about something, or we can choose to look at something through a positive lens and treat is an opportunity. This shift in mindset can be the greatest change-maker in our lives.
By being more positive and optimistic, our perspective on life shifts and everything else from work, social connections, opportunities and mental attitude, as a result, changes too.
It doesn't take much, but it certainly does have an impact on all aspects of our life.
Habits For A Meaningful Life
Throughout my exploration of personal growth, that included exploring what personal growth meant for me and referring to external sources for ideas as to how to improve yourself as a person, I had collected a list of habits which seemed to constantly get mentioned and talked about. These habits, by many, have been claimed to be the foundational building blocks of a healthy and meaningful life, which we all desire. I already implement some of these habits myself on a daily basis but would like to start or improve my consistency with others, because after all, the purpose is not to be perfect but to put your best effort into everything you do.
Some of these habits are most beneficial when implemented on a daily basis, however keeping track of 15 habits all at once is a lot to expect of somebody, especially if you are new to the world of self-development, so I would recommend focusing and picking 1-3 habits you feel like you could implement on a daily basis and seeing how you stick to them and what kind of benefits you gain.
I have also written a separate blog post; Habits Are The Key To Your Success that goes more into the depth of habits themselves and also discusses some practical tips for how to implement new habits into your life. Therefore, I would recommend you read through that first to get some background understanding of habits, but for your convenience, I have also included a short explanation below, about the importance of habits in our life and exactly why they are so important for our personal development.
WHY ARE HABITS SO IMPORTANT?
I have previously already spoken of the hidden superpower that good habits can have on our well being, so here I have provided a short iteration of why habits play such an essential role in our life.
The point of habits is not to look at them from a short term perspective, but to focus on the long term, because habits require consistency and discipline to build and maintain, which can then yield in long term result and prosperity for all aspects of our life. When looked individually, habits can seem very small and futile, but a daily incremental action and change that we set ourselves to do, can overtime accumulate and result in many desired outcomes, ranging from an improved mental and physical performance, as well as impacting our relationships.
Our lifestyle and identity is largely a reflection of our habits. It is estimated that roughly 40% our of daily actions are habitual, meaning that habits form a large chunk of our life, which is why we have to take advantage of them. If we can take control of these subconscious actions and substitute them for actions which do us and others good, then that is one of the best things we can spend our time doing, and we won’t even mind or notice we are doing those things because they become an effortless habit. But consistently takes time and effort, so we have to be willing to invest our time and energy into sticking with these habits that we believe will have the largest impact on our life.
Don’t let negative habits sway and determine your direction of life, but replace them with beneficial and worthwhile habits that will bring meaning to your life and the lives of others.
BEST HABITS FOR LIFE
HABIT 1: Fueling your body correctly:
Everything starts with what we choose to input into our bodies, which can be summed up with the Aruvedic proverb “When diet is wrong, medicine is of no use. When diet is correct, medicine is of no need”. What we choose to eat and drink, not only has direct impacts on our physical health, but can tremendously impact both our mental and emotional health, so it is important to place our foremost focus on our health - because we only get one. In terms of taking care of your health through healthy eating patterns, it involves increasing your consumption of minimally to non processed foods, eating seasonal and varied produce as well as eating in healthy portions (Both eating too much and too little does our body harm).
It is also important that we establish a good relationship with the way we choose to view “healthy” food because that relationship determines ultimately what we will eat, and therefore our overall health. Avoid the regular consumption of highly processed artificial foods that yes, may taste and feel good at the moment, but for the long term, they are not a good investment in your health.
In life there are things that are within our control and things that we don’t have control over; food choices are something that we can control, so it is up to us to fuel our bodies with what makes us feel, think and look best for the long term benefit.
HABIT 2: Getting enough sleep
Sleep is the second-best way to take care of our health. I had recently read the book “Why we sleep” by Matthew Walker, and my mind was opened to a whole nother dimension of benefits that sleep can bring to us, instead of just the usual “recharging our batteries”.
The benefits of sleep are widespread and include aspects such as:
Improved heart and circulatory health
Grater stability in energy and mood during the day
Muscle regeneration
Improved memory formation and knowledge association
Weight management
Regulation of blood sugar and hormone levels
Keeping a healthy immune system
Reduces stress and anxiety
Nowadays, sleep can be looked down upon, especially since it is seen as a “non-productive” use of our time, however, with all the evidence and research that support the plethora of gains that result from sufficient sleep, it is fair to say that that statement is false. Teenagers and young adults should be getting minimally 8 hours of sleep per night, however that is often not the case because we stay up late and stare and screens from our electronic devices, all of which emit blue light that suppresses the release of the sleep-inducing hormone melatonin, meaning that our brains do not become tired and do not feel the need to go to bed, so we end up falling asleep later - a recipe for disaster especially if we have to get up early the next day.
If you are interested in the topic of sleep, I would highly recommend you check out the book “Why we sleep”, and start with taking charge of your sleeping schedule, because it impacts your health in more ways than you would think.
HABIT 3: Daily movement
Exercise is another habit to implement on a daily routine, because just like sleep, it has plenty of health benefits for both our mental and physical health, such as increased, strength, flexibility, bone density and decreased chances of chronic diseases, stress poor quality sleep. To find more benefits and to find out how to implement exercise as part of a consistent habit, I have written another blog post on this topic.
Exercise comes in different forms and types, and the foundation in building regularity in our exercise habit is to find something which we enjoy, based on the benefits we get from it. Experiment with activities that you enjoy and occasionally step out of your comfort zone to try out a new sport or activity that will keep you challenged but also improve you as a person. To keep yourself motivated to exercise, track your own progress and results, or join a community where exercising becomes a part of a social event.
Even the famous Greek physician, Hippocrates, had stated “Even when all is known, the care of a man is not yet complete, because eating alone will not keep a man well; he must also take exercise. For food and exercise, while possessing opposite qualities, yet work together to produce health”. The relationship that we have with exercise is crucial in forming a long term exercise routine and it is also important to mention that exercise should be kept in moderation; not forcing our body too much or not doing any at all, but finding just the right balance between deriving the benefits and finding enjoyment in a challenge.
Reframe your mindset by saying that exercise is something you “get” to do, not “have” to do, especially in the case that you are a healthy individual, that is fully capable of exercising.
HABIT 4: Meditation
This is another habit that I have recently integrated into my daily morning routine and have now, after more than a month of doing it, found plenty of benefits, which I have talked about in my blog post Benefits Of regular Meditation.
Meditation is a practice that you have to go into with an intention - why you want to so it - and also be very persistent and regular with the practice because meditating once will only produce short term benefits when we should be looking for a long term benefit in our health.
If you would like to pick up the habit of meditation and have heard about all of the benefits it can bring, I would recommend exploring different apps that focus on meditation or engaging in online or real-life courses that teach you how to meditate, that will both provide the benefits of meditation but build you up with enough knowledge and independence to be able to meditate then on your own.
HABIT 5: Journaling
Journaling has become quite a popular form of personal growth and has recently become one of my favourites too. Journaling itself is not a purely defined action and can mean different things for different people. For example, for some, journaling may mean simply wiring down their thoughts and feelings, while for others it might be a time to reflect and plan for the future.
For me, journaling is a mixture of both of those ideas, along with doing regular gratitude writing, planning different life events and setting goals for the future. The act of journaling is a great opportunity to squeeze in some gratitude writing, which could be a habit in itself, but I have started to include it in this section since at least for me, I like to express gratitude writing when I am using my journal.
Many people enjoy the act of journaling because it is non-restrictive, non defined and the journal will not judge you for what you write, so it is a great way for people to declutter heavy and unnecessary thoughts and worries onto a page. As far as neatness and aesthetics go, perfectionism should not be a barrier or a limiting factor in your habit of journaling, since journaling is meant to be unedited and imperfect
HABIT 6: Learning time
This is a habit that I would like to start doing myself, in the near future, because I have heard of just how impactful it can be to take 20-30 minutes each day to learn something new about a topic we are interested in. I believe that investing in your knowledge, personal growth and education are some of the best areas that you can invest your money and time in since it overall improves you as a person.
Nowadays, there is so much information available online, so it is literally possible to learn almost anything we want just from looking through books, online videos, courses, classes and audio recordings. All of the information we need is out there, it is just a matter of picking a topic that we want to learn about and finding suitable sources for it.
I think that each of us has some topics that we are interested in, however, we rarely take enough time to explore them and enrich our knowledge in those aspects. So I encourage you to read, watch, teach and listen about topics that spark your interest because it just might be so that if you are interested in something, you can use that knowledge to spark someone else’s interest in that topic. Don’t just assume that if you find something interesting, that no one else will.
HABIT 7: Reading
The habit of reading is a very popular one that is endorsed by millions of people throughout the world and is also a great way to keep our brain active and our imagination swift, as well as having a chance to expand our vocabulary and reducing stress. Furthermore, reading can strengthen our storytelling skills and give us a chance to learn about something we find interesting, which links to the previous point I made above.
Reading is so popular because everyone can find something they enjoy reading about, whether its fiction or non-fiction, both are beneficial. Nowadays, you also have the option to read on e-readers and tablets which are a more practical and cheaper book reading alternative, but many people still prefer psychical books because of their size and front covers.
If you find it hard to include reading as part of your daily routine, I would recommend either designating about 30 minutes a day that is meant for reading (Right before bed for example), or you can use your time commuting on public transport or during your time that you are eating, to pick up the habit of reading.
HABIT 8: Stepping out of your comfort zone
While we often hear the advice of stepping out of our comfort zone, not many take the self-initiative and really propel themselves into an unfamiliar situation, but those who do and manage to implement that as part of a habitual mindset, obtain a great array of benefits. The issue of not challenging yourself is that you essentially become too comfortable and your brain becomes untrained when it should be active and efficient. When we let our life be controlled by the walls of our comfort zone, we gradually become less comfortable with doing tasks; even tasks that before were inside our comfort barrier, therefore we spiral down a vicious cycle of eventually losing the majority of our self-belief, our capabilities and our discipline.
However, stepping out of your comfort zone can yield amazing benefits such as:
Giving you an opportunity to learn and gain valuable new experiences
Learning more about yourself and what truly interests you
Expanding your confidence and self-esteem
Becoming a more flexible and adaptable person - which are key qualities in today’s world
Becoming more creative and productive because our brains require a challenge to keep active and to come up with new ways of looking at a situation
If you can adopt a “stepping out of your comfort zone” mindset, every so often, then that is amazing, because that is how you will be able to learn and grow the most as a person.
HABIT 9: Managing your personal finances
Everyone has the urge to want to earn money, however, when it comes to managing and dealing with money, many of us freeze and like to leave that to others when really our money is our responsibility. This means that the money you earn is yours to take care of and you are the one who decides whether that money will be saved, spent or invested.
If you are new to the world of (personal) finance, it is always encouraged to learn about it and familiarize yourself with smart ways to manage your money, because money nowadays plays a big role in determining the quality of life you live. I encourage you to read books and articles, watch videos as well as part take in interactive courses or workshops, to get a grasp of your own finances and how you can learn and transition to a more financially independent lifestyle.
HABIT 10: Managing distractions
In today’s world, one of the best and most worthwhile skills you can have is the ability to stay focused for extended periods of time. This skill, however, is becoming more scarce and harder to master simply because of the mass influx of information and distractions that occupy our environment; whether that is from people, our devices or events that are happening around us. It is up to us to intentionally try and manage our distractions and identify how best we are able to stay focused on the task.
The ability to efficiency avoid distractions can be learnt and strengthened over time, and when it becomes part of our work ethic, we are able to manage our time better, be more productive, increase the quality of our output and also get a sense of accomplishment out of it because staying on task is not an easy job.
Here are some methods for how you can minimize distractions in your environment, while you work:
Temporarily disconnecting yourself from the internet
Muting your phone or putting it on do not disturb
Placing your phone or potentially distracting devices further away (For example: Not keeping them around in your workspace)
Implementing the Pomodoro technique or any other time tracking system, where you set aside a period of time for which you will stay focused and setting a scheduled break. This way you are able to tackle one task at a time and set yourself deadlines, which motivates you to stay focused
If you like to listen to music while you work, choose longer study playlists instead of picking individual songs that will wase you more time
Keeping your environment clean and organized
Choosing a time of day to work on you right energy consuming, or difficult tasks, when you feel most calm and least distracted (For example in the morning hours)
HABIT 11: Treating failure as growth as improvement
This is another beneficial mindset habit where we teach our brains to start viewing challenges and mistakes as an opportunity to learn and improve ourselves. We need to start looking at setbacks as a chance to readjust our current technique or strategy, identify what caused the setback in the first place and try again to be able to grow and exceed our expectations.
If we do not view failure in a positive light, we risk becoming someone who is easily hurt, offended and unmotivated - none of which are qualities we should be striving for.
HABIT 12: Focusing on the process instead of the end result
This is something that I am trying to implement more in my own life because I have just recently realized how important it is. We are often used to going into a task or action simply because of the end output that will come out of it, whether that is money, recognition, status, enjoyment or love. The catch here is that, the more we become focused on the end result, the less enjoyment and motivation we finding executing the action, even if previously this action was something we loved to do.
The solution to this issue is to switch our focus onto the action process, instead of the action outcome. By enjoying and finding pleasure in the process, getting to the result will not be an issue, it will take care of itself. We will face less resistance to keep going and generally be more motivated to complete the action, simply because we enjoy it.
The idea of being result-focused can also be applied to setting goals, where our goals act as our “end outcomes”, however, I among many others, think that goals should be used in setting a general direction for where we are headed, they should not take the spotlight of our life. They should simply play the role of a guiding direction, but should not necessarily act as a measure of our success or achievement, because if we do not achieve the goal, we have the tendency to view ourselves as incapable and as a failure.
Therefore whenever we feel an increased resistance to doing or starting something, it might be because we are too focused on the end result and are not actually finding satisfaction in the process. If we don’t like something, how are we expected to pursue it? See how you can alter the process to make it enjoyable.
HABIT 13: Always trying your best
Trying your best is quite a self-explanatory mental mindset shift, but it should nonetheless not be neglected.
By trying our best we are able to:
Produce the highest quality output of work, with which we are able to overtime, surpass our own expectations and thus gain an opportunity to learn and develop our knowledge and skillset
Improve our trust, reliability and reputation with other people's especially in the case that we are producing work for them
Overtime your esteem and confidence can improve because you are constantly pushed to learn and experiment with new things
HABIT 14: Surround yourself with inspiration
This idea is so important but is one that we like to overlook and not assign much importance to. Inspiration is vital for our work and the generation of ideas, so it is important to be submerged in an environment that has a variety of inspiration, which can come in plenty of forms, such as people, art, music, writing, poetry, books or anything else that fills you with creativity.
When we surround ourselves with people that act as our role models and place ourselves in an inspiration-rich environment in which we able to generate richer and more valuable ideas, we have the chance to adopt some of the qualities of the people that we aspire to be similar to and ultimately, grow as a person.
HABIT 15: Doing things you love
Our greater life purpose should be to fill our life with actions and opportunities that we love and that bring a sense of deeper fulfillment to us. We should design our life around the things we enjoy doing and assign them as “high priority” because otherwise if we miss out on pursuing things that spark our passion, we may adopt a depressive and non-positive outlook on life, that will get us to nowhere.
To identify where our passions and deeper interests lie, we must take personal time to self reflect and become more self-aware of our own preferences and dislikes. The more time we spend actively reflecting and identifying what we enjoy doing, the more precise we are able to become with our preferences and therefore, have a clearer image of how to pursue a life that is filled with passion and intention.
If we don’t know ourselves and don’t know what we want or desire, then how are we going to know what we want out of life?
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Benefits Of Regular Meditation
“Your goal is not to battle with the mind, but to witness the mind.”
I have always heard of the many benefits that meditation can bring along with it, but I have always had a hard time comprehending them or believing they are true since I had never integrated meditation into my lifestyle as part of a regular practice. To test these benefits for myself, about a month ago I had decided to try and start a daily meditation routine, to see whether these benefits are as widespread and impactful as meditation articles make them seem.
After having done more than a month of regular daily meditation now, I can firmly confirm that I have uncovered some of these benefits for myself and I hope that with this article I can convince you to at least try meditation once and that the benefits will show themselves if you are consistent and intentional.
Before I start stating and explaining some of the most profound benefits that I have discovered with a regular meditation routine, I would like to first open up by clarifying what meditation even is - as many people have an incorrect assumption of it- as well as providing insight into how meditation is carried out and some practical tips that we can all use to integrate meditation into our lifestyle.
LEARNING THE BASICS
WHAT IS MEDITATION:
If we simplify the idea of meditation, we can define it as a practice or skill in which we are able to sit in stillness, not forcing our mind to think or reflect about anything, while becoming an observer to our behaviour, emotions and thoughts. The point of meditation is not to be perfect or to experience zero thoughts during our practice - which is very unlikely if you are a beginner since during the day our minds are exposed to a constant influx of information from the outside world - but the purpose of meditation is to be acceptant to anything that comes and goes through our minds while being submerged in the present moment, not worrying about the past or future.
During meditation we often turn our focus to our breath as it is one thing that is always with us in the current moment, meaning that it helps keep us grounded to the present moment.
Meditation is also a time we choose to schedule purely to ourselves, not having to worry about worries and thoughts arising from our external situations, meaning that it is a time that we can calm down, get a new perspective on things and find moments to slow down in this fast-paced lifestyle that we live.
HOW TO MEDITATE:
Sit down in a crosslegged position that you find comfortable with your hands resting on your knees or in your lap, and your shoulders being pushed slightly back to open up your chest and maintain a proper posture.
Relax your muscles thought out your whole body, but still keeping yourself in an attentive and upright position.
Close your eyes and take a couple of deep long breaths, inhaling through your nose and exhaling out of your mouth.
Once you feel your body has started to calm down, resort to following your natural breathing patterns, keeping your eyes closed and the focus on your breath or an area of your body where your breath can be felt (nose, expanding of chest or stomach).
Focus on your breathing for the majority of the practice and when you start coming to the end of your practice, slowly start bringing awareness to your body and space around you, until you are able to fully open your eyes.
GENERAL MEDITATION TIPS:
Turn your mindset from being a perfectionist to being accepting of everything that comes your way and not letting it make you get off track permanently. In the beginning, everyone finds it hard to quiet our minds, but forcing this will also yield in no beneficial results.
The more consistent and intentional you are with your practice, the more likely you are to find purpose in doing it and the more likely you are to integrate it as a habit. Reflect upon your practice and identify whether afterwards you feel any different and try and set up an intention for why you want to start meditating.
People tend to often assume that meditation is a very strict, perfectionistic and hard to do practice, however it is not. Meditation can be a very easy and effortless process to follow as long as we do not become judgemental of whatever wanders through our minds. Just like it is not a practice of being a perfectionist, meditation can also come in different styles depending on your preference for sound, pace and technique, making it a universal skill that people can master if they put their mind to it.
Meditation can be done in silence or with accompanying music or instrumental background sounds. Which one you prefer is up to you.
Nowadays there are also plenty of meditation apps that help you with starting or continuing the habit of meditation. Many apps offer the option of guided meditation where you are listening to another person that it systematically guiding you through the process of meditation.
Meditation does also not have to take up plenty of your time, but can instead range anywhere from as little as five minutes to more than an hour, depending on which level you are and the amount of time you choose to dedicate to this practice. As a beginner, I would recommend starting with five minutes and then slowly progressing to ten minutes and eventually twenty minutes until you are able to do the practice on your own for however long you feel like.
Whether you decide to meditate in the morning, evening, during the day, or all three, it is up to you. Many people prefer to meditate first thing in the morning as in the morning hours our brain is not compleltčey clouded with thoughts of the upcoming day, making it easier to focus and relax into the practice itself.
MY MEDITATION PRACTICE:
I have been meditating for a little over a month now, doing between 10-20 minutes every morning right when I wake up. I personally like using the app Oak as it is free of charge (except their mantra meditation course) and it provides the chance of guided meditation that I am a big fan of as it helps me enter the state of meditation quicker.
In the background, I often like to play relaxing instrumental noises such as a flute or rain falling, but sometimes I also just do it in silence.
If you are someone who is a big app user, there are many different apps out there that specialise in meditation, so experiment with them and find which one brings you the most value, enjoyment and regularity in your practice
PERSONAL BENEFITS OF MEDITATION
BENEFIT 1: Becoming an observer
The first benefit that had uncovered itself to me after starting a regular meditation routine, was that I became an observer and spectator to my own life. Becoming an observer has firstly benefited my life from an emotional standpoint, where I was able to assess the way I reacted to a certain situation, whether I reacted appropriately and why did I react in that way. By improving the way I reacted to situations, I was able to influx more positive opportunities into my life, as well as maintain or build new social connections.
Furthermore, gaining the perspective of an observer also enabled me to become a better decision-maker as I was able to look at a situation objectively and start relying on rational thought instead of just emotional drive.
BENEFIT 2: Feeling more calm and centred
The second benefit comes with no surprise, but undoubtedly meditation has allowed me to become calmer, more level headed and more focused on my work, where I was able to approach situations with a clearer mind and produce less of an anxious response. By feeling calmer, it has lead me to improve my work prioritization which manifested itself into being able to focus on a given task for longer periods of time and becoming better at avoiding distractions - all of which are needed for a balanced and productive lifestyle.
BENEFIT 3: Increased gratitude
By becoming more of an observer through the process of meditation, you are able to self reflect, gain more control throughout different areas of your life, which leads you to become a more present person. The ability to be present in a situation is becoming rarer but it is also one that is becoming more necessary to do. By being more present we are able to truly assess our life and look at it through a lens of gratitude for all the things, experiences, people and opportunities we had, still have or we will get in the future.
I believe that we should not label situations as either being “good” or “bad” because that can predetermine our response to them when it is still in our control to choose the way we intentionally react to them. The focus in your life should not only be on “good” situations because we also need “bad” situations to learn from them and be able to appreciate and realise what a “good” situation even means for us. Through expressing gratitude, you are able to view even the most negative situations with at least a hint of positive light, which is always better than seeing only the bad in something negative, as dwelling on your losses never gets you anywhere, but learning from them does.
BENEFIT 4: Increased mental clarity
Another benefit that came to me through the practice of meditation was that I experienced greater mental clarity during my day, with which I was able to react more appropriately in situations, make better decisions, stay focused on the task consistently and live more in the present moment. “Mental clarity” means something different for everyone, but in my terms, it meant that I became a generally all-around more rational person with the things I said and did which made me become more intentional with my actions and the way I choose to spend my time. I realized that it was up to me how I spent my time and how much time I choose to allocate to a specific task. It was up to me to decide how much focus to bring to the table and where to concentrate it on.
Lastly, because I started viewing life events in a more objective light, I was able to tune into my intuition more, which simplified and quickened the process of decision making that so often usually drained me of energy.
BENEFIT 5: Becoming less judgemental and more accepting
The last point links to the idea of neutrality and not labelling something as being “good” or “bad” but simply being acceptant and aware of it. By labelling something as “bad” or “good” you are in a way predetermining your response and thus the outcome from that situation, that would otherwise have been up to you as to how you choose to react to it. It is crucial to realise that we will be okay even if we encounter a “bad” situation and that we can use those situations that make us struggle and fail, to our advantage, to fuel our growth as a person and to strengthen our mindset.
ADVICE FOR PICKING UP THE HABIT OF MEDITATION:
Start small and be consistent. Even just five minutes a day can be sufficient as a beginner, and when you feel ready to extend that time period, go for it.
Involve the use of a meditation app that will make it easier for you to stick to your practice and encourage you with your progress thus far.
Understand and figure out why you even want to start meditating in the first place. What do you think or want to get out of this practice?
Adapt the practice to your preference in terms of the length you choose, time of day you do it, your choice of having music, background vocal guidance or silence. Design it so that it will be enjoyable to you, increasing your chances of sticking to it.
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Habits Are The Key To Your Success
“Success is the product of daily habits—not once-in-a-lifetime transformations.”
There is a reason as to why habits get so much praise in the “productivity world” today, and that comes with very good reasoning behind it. Habits, when implemented correctly over time, can have massive and incredibly positive effects on our life and well being, but that also means that if they are not used correctly, they can quickly lead us to stumble down negative habit loops that do us no good.
So how exactly do we make the most out of our habits and implement them in a way that we will derive the most benefit from them? Read on to find out.
Before we delve into the topic of habits and how exactly they are able to transform our lives, I would like to mention that the information in this post is partly based and built upon from the points that James Clear has made in his best selling book, Atomic Habits, that explores the science behind habits and how we build new ones and break bad ones. I would highly recommend the book to anyone interested in improving their life by using habits.
I would like to first begin by giving some introductory information on the topic of habits, that will enable us to grapple and understand the forthcoming content with much more ease.
WHAT ARE HABITS?
In basic terms, a habit is any automatic behaviour that we execute without having to put mental thought into doing it, meaning that it is largely unconscious. We all perform habits, however, most of the time we do not even realise that something is habitual behaviour since we are not applying conscious thought while executing the action.
A prominent study done by Duke University has concluded that about 40% of our daily actions are said to be habits, meaning that habits form a large chunk of our daily behaviour. What is the reason behind this? Why such a big percentage?
ROLE OF HABITS
Well, the answer quite plainly lies within our brain, that functions, in simple terms, like a big energy conservation machine. Even though our brain only takes up about 2% of our total body weight, it uses an astonishing 20% of our total energy intake for performing its daily functions. Because of its large energy use, the brains main goal is to use the energy it receives with as much efficiency as possible, meaning that not much of it goes to waste. And that is exactly what habits are here to do. They are unconscious actions, meaning they do not require thinking - or the use of mental energy - for them to be executed, allowing our brain to save this precious energy and use it for more important matters.
Apart from the fact that habits allow our brains to save energy, they also save our brain time, as habitual behaviour happens subconsciously and is in a way almost predetermined, meaning that we lose less time with coming up with a final decision, that would otherwise lead to the commonly known “decision fatigue”.
Therefore, because habits form such a large chunk of our behaviour, they can have very large and noticeable effects on our lives and well being, either being good or bad, depending on which ones we prioritize.
BUILDING BLOCKS OF HABITS
In order for us to understand how we can build long-lasting positive habits and break negative habit loops for good, we have to first understand the actual structure of a habit and what causes them in the first place. The first two components (the Cue and the Craving) are part of the problem phase that are based on input actions of the habit, while the last two components (Response and Reward) form the solution component as they focus on the outcomes of a habit.
CUE: This concerns an exterior stimulus in our environment that acts as a trigger to our habit. This is exactly why our habits are based so much in our environment because our environment provides most of the triggers to those habits.
CRAVING: The carving is all about the emotional drive behind a habit, and acts as a main reason of power for our brain to execute the action automatically. After all, if an action was not being craved by our brain, then why would it be done? While the craving is all about wanting the action, the response concentrates on performing the action.
RESPONSE: In other words, the response is the action that is triggered by the cue and is accelerated by the craving. Over time this repetitive response will form a habit loop, however, your responsibility to a cue is determined by a) how determined you are to complete the action and b) your level of ability to perform the action.
REWARD: Finally, the reward focuses on stimulating our brains with a positive reward that will encourage the repetition of the same behaviour later on, because the action will become associated with the same reward.
EXAMPLE OF A HABIT LOOP:
CUE: The sweet smell of a doughnut shop that you walk by on a street.
CRAVING: The sweet smell of fried doughnuts makes it hard for your brain to resist it because if something smells good it makes us want to eat it, as it will likely also taste good.
RESPONSE: You walk into the doughnut shop, purchase a doughnut and eat it, as a result of the initially enticing smell.
REWARD: Your taste buds are immediately rewarded by the sweet and fatty taste of the doughnut, so now walking by a doughnut shop will become associated with a sweet-tasting reward.
BUILDING NEW AND POSITIVE HABITS:
GENERAL TIPS:
Starting small and easy: When trying to implement a new habit into our routine, we have to start small as otherwise we feel overwhelmed as to how to start or we simply lose motivation to keep executing the action that has not yet become automatic, meaning that we will face more resistance to it.
Small daily imprvements: In his books Atomic Habits, James Clear often emphasizes the point that if we improve for even juts 1% each day, that over the course of months and years can accumulate to a large and noticeable improvement. The same can be said if we decide to pursue a negative habit and get worse for 1% each day. Small changes add up through consistency and effort.
Breaking down your habits: To once again not get too overwhelmed with the expectations that implementing a new habit brings, it is very useful to break up a large and hard to do habit into smaller easier to do actions. For example, if you want to start running every day, you can split this large habit into two smaller habits of fueling your body the right food to have enough energy and to get into the habit of finishing your work quickly to have more time to run, both of which will contribute towards your overall habit.
Getting back on track and tracking your progress: Many of us, when trying to start a new habit we wither forget about it rather quickly or we fall back into our previous habitual actions. These situations are completely normal, which is because when we try and introduce a new habit, old habitual neural pathways never get deleted, because they are only replaced by new habits, which explains why we often slip back into our old routines. To remain consistent with our new habit, I would also recomed tracking our progress, whether that is from a visual, numerical or emotional perspective, that when seeing positive results, will motivate us to continue the habit.
Have patience and consistency: Humans are wired to function based on instant gratification which allows us to receive immediate benefits from doing something but with habits it takes more time for the results to show, which is why it is important to keep trying our best, be consistent and be patient as the results will eventually come as long as we work for them.
RULES FOR STICKING WITH NEW HABITS:
Make the habit:
Have an obvious trigger (Desing your environment accordingly)
Attractive (Increases our likeness to do it)
Easy to do (Makes starting less daunting)
Satisfying (Ensures that we will repeat it)
QUITTING BAD AND PERSISTENT HABITS
GENERAL TIPS:
Replacing your habits: By replacing a bad habit with a good one that brings about the same reward or feeling, we will find it less tempting to slip back into our old habit routines as by doing the habit that is good for us we will still be getting the same or at least a similar reward as previously with the bad habit.
Social environment and Accountability: By working or partnering with another person or a group of people who support you in your habits and motivate you to keep persistent, that will greatly increase the chances of you a) sticking to the new habit and b) quitting a bad habit, as someone can hold you accountable for how much time has passed since you last did the bad habit. Accountability does not only have to wor with real-life people but can also be done with digital applications that help track your habits if you prefer.
Environmental design: Our environment is the largest sources of our, good and bad, habit triggers, therefore it is important to surround ourselves in an environment that will promote the formation of good habits while preventing the continuation of bad habits.
New identity: By adopting or quitting a habit, we essentially want to become a new person. For example, someone who might want to start eating healthier could identify themselves as a “healthy eater”, while someone who is trying to quit smoking will refer to themselves as a “non-smoker or ex-smoker”. By giving ourselves a new identity based on our habits, we become more intentional behind our habits as to why we would want to start or quit one, in order for them to align with our new persona.
RULES FOR BREAKING BAD HABITS:
Make the habit:
Have a non-obvious trigger (Designing your environment accordingly)
Unattractive (Decreases our chances of doing it)
Difficult (Requires more effort to do it)
Unsatisfying (Ensures we will not repeat it)
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Top 10 Productivity Tips
Everyone likes the idea of being productive, however many of us fall into the traps of procrastination and distractions, that hinder us from becoming the best version of ourselves. Here are my personal top ten tips that will boost your productivity, work output and efficiency.
TIP 1: Time Tracking
Tracking your time is more than just a productivity tip; It enables you to identify how long it actually takes you to finish a task and it also encourages you to fully focus on the task at hand without any distractions, ultimately leading to a higher quality piece of work.
The Pomodoro time tracking technique is very popular, where you work for 25minutes, have a break for 5 minutes and repeat. However, if you feel that you can maintain focus for more than 25 minutes, go ahead, just do not neglect to have breaks in between.
Tracking the time you spend on tasks can be done by simply setting a timer on one of your devices or installing time tracking software which can automatically start and stop timing when taking a break.
Some of my favourite time tracking software:
Toggl (Individual and group tracking)
Focus keeper (Pomodoro style)
Emphasis (Pomodoro style)
Forest (Paid application)
TIP 2: Eliminate Distractions
A crucial aspect of keeping focused is putting aside all potential distractions, which prevent you from entering a "flow state", which is defined as a “optimal state of consciousness where we feel our best and perform our best" by the author of the book Flow, Mihály Csíkszentmihályiwhich.
Methods of avoiding distractions include:
Muting notifications
Placing your devices in less convenient places
Setting time for focus and time for taking a break
Use website/ internet blockers (Eg: Freedom and Cold Turkey Blocker)
TIP 3: Stay Energized
For us to be able to execute a task well, we must be physically and mentally in shape first before we can fully commit to doing it. If we neglect any of the daily biological necessities that keep our minds sharp and our bodies in shape, we firstly see a decline in our focus, motivation and clarity of thinking, which inevitably leads to lower productivity - something that we do not want.
It is also important to mention that the neglect of one of these essential caretakers (such as sleep) will lead to us having even less energy and motivation to complete other important habits (such as exercising), clearly resulting in a vicious cycle that is hard to stop.
Ways of energizing ourselves:
Sleep minimum 7-8 hours each night
Eat a varied, balanced and whole-foods based diet
Try and get in at least 30 minutes of exercise per day
Being out in fresh air
Taking a nap in the middle of the day
Replacing sugary drinks with water
Meditation
TIP 4: Plan out Your Day In Advance
By planning the following day the night before, you instantly know exactly all the things you have to get done that days so you waste less time deciding what to fit and not to fit onto your to-do list.
When planning your day ahead I would plan for:
Small and large tasks and projects I have to start or complete (in order of priority)
How you will avoid and deal with potential distractions and issues
How long you will spend on those tasks and then using a timer to track the time spent
What resources will I need to get those tasks done in time
TIP 5: Task Prioritization
It is not only important to consider what you add onto your to-do list but also which tasks are most important to get done for that day. This way you at least know that if you completed your highest priority tasks, you did the most important work.
Often times we like to start with the tasks that are shortest and require last effort, making them lowest priority tasks, but if we take time to consider how we will tackle and complete larger, higher priority tasks, we will get much more satisfaction and reassurance that the hardest work has been done already.
Prioritize tasks based on:
Importance and effort needed (proximity to a deadline)
Amount of time needed
In the case that we feel overwhelmed by the number of tasks we have on hand, it is an important skill to learn when to say "no" to opportunities. We should say "no" to opportunities when we know we have too much on our plate for another task, when the task will not bring much value or opportunity to our life or when we do not find the opportunity interesting because we have other more interesting occupations already.
TIP 6: Avoid Multitasking
This is again something that links to the idea of a "flow state", whereby multi-tasking we are not applying an equal amount of focus to the tasks we are doing simultaneously, but we are instead only diverting our attention when ever we switch to a new task. This way all of the tasks that we are multitasking on will be of lower quality and it will even take us longer to complete those tasks as our attention is continuously distracted.
In creative fields specifically, where a lot of idea generation and periods of extended focus are needed, I would try and limit the amount of multitasking, but instead, try and complete tasks one after another in their order of priority.
The only times when I would require multitasking:
When doing a repetitive task
When doing a task that does not require creative thinking
When doing a task that we are highly familiar with and not much thinking is required
TIP 7: Break Up Large Tasks
Often when starting a large project-based task, we feel overwhelmed by the sheer amount of work that lies ahead of us so we don't even feel like starting because we don’t even know where to start with the task.
To overcome this issue, I recommend dividing you larger task into smaller more tangible tasks that will still make progress towards your larger task but will not overwhelm you.
When splitting up a task, I would consider the following:
What is the end goal/ result of me doing this smaller task?
How long will it realistically take me to finish each small task?
When is the deadline for the whole task to be completed?
How much effort and resources will each small task cost me?
TIP 8: Identify Your “Why”:
You should always have a reason for doing something, a larger intention that stands behind your actions, otherwise, what’s the point of doing anything?
Identifying the reason behind doing something is not always the easiest thing, so before starting, ask yourself:
Why am I doing this task?
What will I get out of it by completing it?
Who am I doing the task for? (Myself or someone else)
By clarifying your intention behind each task, you also create the underlying factor of motivation that powers you through the task and allows you to keep the end goal in sight, increases the chances of you finishing the task and at the end, also makes you more proud of what you have completed thus far.
TIP 9: Set Realistic And Achievable Goals
Unlike the last tip, this point focuses on the output value of the tasks you do in the form of setting goals that guide and allow you to complete the task in the first place.
Purpose of setting goals:
Guide us in the general right direction
Motivate us to work towards something
Defining what is "enough" for us and when to stop with something
However I do want to clarify, that while goals are important, it is important to not keep them in our foresight all the time, but instead, we should be using them as an every so often reference point to check that we are headed in the right direction.
Because goals should be specific and well defined, there are different types of goals for this purpose:
Progress goal: I want to improve my piano playing skills
Numerical goal: Focus on reaching a certain number/ figure (Eg: I want to save up X amount of money by the end of the year)
System goal: A output shcedule that you follow on a regular basis (Eg: I will go to the gym 3x per week)
I believe that focusing on numerical goals is not a good long term solution, as they are often unrealistic which leads us to be disappointed if we don't achieve them. On the other hand, a progress or system goal allows you to stay more committed to your goal as a long term solution and makes sure that you are headed in the right direction.
When setting goals, it is important to consider:
How will I achieve my goal: What steps will I take towards completing it?
How long will it take me to complete it: When is the deadline?
How will I measure my goal: How will I know that I have completed my goal?
What resources will I need: Physical resources, time, money, energy, social connections
How will I stay commited to my goal: Being accountable to someone or reminding myself?
TIP 10: Just Start and Don’t Complicate
As simple as it sounds, it can’t be overstated that the only way to get something done, is just by starting it. We often procrastinate from starting a task by doing excessive planning and thinking about starting, but then we never actually end up starting.
Its always easier to dream about, plan and think about starting than putting in the actual effort of starting
By just starting and acknowledging that no one is perfect when they initially start out, it frees your mind from judgement and self-doubt that is often faced when starting something new, which allows you to develop your ideas organically as you grow. Starting is the first proactive step to take and only once you start you will be able to figure out all of the other smaller details in your journey because it takes starting and building real experience to direct yourself in the correct direction.
Don't overthink, just start. You will figure things out as you go and that should never be a prerequisite for starting out in the first place because no one has everything figured out when they first start out.
Enjoy the process.
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